Rumors Travel Fast and Furious
by Bonwee
Summary: When Sean tried to finish a fight his sister starts, they both go to Tokyo, Sean wrecks the "Mona Lisa of Drifting Cars" and his sister is Han's eyes and ears. Sometimes when there are fast cars and the bright lights of Tokyo, drama and romance can bloom. R & R like all the other stories!
1. Chapter 1

The next day.

We were all hanging out at a soccer field, everyone was playing except Han, Sean, and I. Han tossed me a bottle of water and I nodded my thanks. I sipped it and watch my brother talk to Han about how Han got to Japan.

I moved over and leaned on the railing with them.

"If you don't drift to win, then what do you drift for?" I asked him.

"You really want to know?" I nodded. "Then come on," we got in his car, I was in the backseat as usual. I wished I had my car. Han drifted us around a corner and then drifted circles around a blue and silver car that had two women in it. Han stopped and there was a tense moment where they just starred at each other. Then the driver passed over a folded piece of paper.

A smiled played on Han's lips.

He let us out at our house and I waited for Sean to go inside before I spoke to Han.

"I'm in," he nodded once and pulled away, revving his engine.

I walked in to dad asleep in his chair. He was so plastered it didn't matter. I still slept on the floor of Sean's room and we had to listen to the crazy neighbor woman's laughter and TV all night.

"What do think of Han, Steph?"

"He's okay, I mean, I haven't watched him enough yet." Actually I knew more about Han Seoul-Oh than he probably wanted me to. I knew he was sad, he was trying to heal and move on from something big, the death of a loved one. I knew he was making a lot more money than just what Sean was collecting. I knew that he was one of the best drivers out there and had probably used that skill outside of street racing.

"I like him, he seems pretty stand up."

"Yeah." I changed for bed and laid down.

That night I had a dream I was drifting.

The next day we all went up into the mountains, Han was going to get Sean to learn how to drift one way or another, he was getting better, and still refused my help, which I respected. I was reading my literature book while sitting on the hood of a sporty little silver thing Han picked up at a race the other night. He was analyzing my brother's skills hard today. He was drinking a big bottle of water, the more occupied he was mentally, the less he ate. I looked up when he got in the car with Sean. Earl was dissing my brother hard for his lack of skills. Reiko came over to sit by me, we weren't too terribly close, but it was nice to have a girl to talk to.

My brother was getting the hang of drifting, he didn't over steer on the last turn he made.

Han called it a day and we all piled back into the cars. Sean went out to sell junk with Twink and I stayed in the garage, I found a place to read in the back, it was almost completely hidden by a tool box and racks of tires. I spread out my diagrams and started to analyze the different elements of The Mona Lisa car that my brother totaled. I put my ear buds in and turned my music up loud, there was a party going on tonight. I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't realize Han was looking over my shoulder. I jolted up and turned around, ripping my ear phones out.

"Han!" He moved away from me a little.

"What are you doing back here?"

"I was just looking at The Mona Lisa, seeing why you made it the way you did."

"I loved that car."

"And now it is restin' in pieces out back."

He pulled up a stool and sat across from me. "Help me build a new one, a better one." He propositioned.

"I don't know, I mean, isn't that what you have Eric for?"

"Eric's good, but he's not as good as I think you'd be." He watched my face. I tried to keep a blank appearance.

"I'll work on something and I'll show it to you, how's that sound?"

He shook my hand, my fate was sealed.

When we went home that night Sean told me he was moving into Han's garage, I could come or I could stay with dad. I said I'd think about it.

We went out to the dock early, just my brother and I, he was great at drifting know, he hollered and I knew he was hooked.

That afternoon I packed up my things and went to live in Han Seoul-Oh's garage of misfit gearheads. He was sitting with his older friends, some were smoking, or some were watching a video. Han walked down to me and nodded for me to follow him to the back of the garage.

"You can sleep in here," he pulled away a curtain to show me a little apartment, small even for Tokyo's standards, but it was all mine. I put my suitcase on my bed.

"You're serious? What, don't want a girl dirtyin' up your classy fuck-bunks upstairs?" He laughed a little and shook his head.

"Nah, I just thought you'd like the isolation." He left me to unpack.

The next day I got to school and as soon as the last bell rang, Eric and Reiko came up to Sean and were yelling for him to help Twinkie, he'd gotten himself into a fight with DK's second in command, Morimoto. Sean stood up for him and ended up giving him his own iPod to replace the broken one. Morimoto winked at me and I raised my eyebrow. Twink got mad at my brother and stormed off. I rolled my eyes and left school. Han was outside, leaning against a motorcycle I had seen on the garage floor last time I was there.

"Sup, Steph?" I stopped in front of him and shrugged.

"Just watched Twink get the fire kicked outta him over an iPod, but that's normal. Why you slummin' it today with us school kids?" He smirked and popped a crisp in his mouth.

"Thought I'd just come down to see how my pickup and delivery boy was doing." Sean came out and saw us talking.

"Something up?" Han shook his head.

"Nah, just chatting up this sister of yours. You'll wanna keep an eye on her, I heard Morimoto bragging about how he was going to get a piece of that country ass before long."

"Oh happy day! My prayers have been answered, a Japanese boy has come to slap my ass and make out with me on cars, however shall I thank you for giving me a heads up?" Sean laughed at my sarcasm. I saw Morimoto swagger out the front of school. He nodded his head at Han and then made a kissing face at me, I smirked and looked him up and down. When he was gone I turned around and glared at Han.

"How did this happen? I don't even see him anywhere except the races."

"You're white, you're hot, you're new and you're dangerous, everything he likes." Han said, getting on his bike. "I'll see you two at the docks later." He popped a wheelie and took off.

"Steph's got a boyfriend," Sean teased, I punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, I wouldn't touch that scumbag with a 40 foot pole." We got into his car.

"I know ya wouldn't sis." He pulled out and we booked it to Han's, we ran in there and changed out of our uniforms.

The next afternoon we were back at the garage, Twinkie was trying to get me to go out on a date with him.

"C'mon girl, I could treat you right, I know a great sushi place and then we can hit the movie theater." I looked unimpressed.

"Twink, I don't want to go on a date with you. You're my friend, go ask one of the anorexic models that live in the club to go, I'm sure they'd love to go throw up all the expensive raw fish after the date."

"Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie," he repeated my name, each time he got softer and got closer to me. "Please, baby, just one little date." I stood up.

"No, that's my final answer okay?" I walked down the steps to go work see what Sean was doing. He wasn't anywhere to been found.

"Guys, where did Sean go?" I yelled upstairs.

"He's out playing with fire." He was with Neela. I hung my head. My brother was going to get burned bad for that. Han was sitting at his work bench, he looked up at me.

"Steph, come here for a sec." I walked over to him. "You want to go for a ride?" I shrugged.

"Are you trying to ask me out? 'Cuz if you didn't hear up there, I'm really tired of that shit."

"Nope, I'm not into schoolgirls, that's DK's game." He pulled off his blue mechanic's shirt and grabbed his jacket.

We rode up to the mountains, he drifted through those hills with a whole group of cars, we weren't racing, we were enjoying the thrill of drifting, and it was amazing.

The Next Day.

I was sitting on the couch with Sean drifting at the docks, he'd been going at it all day. Twink was playing his PSP and Han was reading a Hulk comic book. I was getting ahead in math class so I could go out to the races this week and listen to what people were looking for, that way I could have Han make some money by getting them the stuff.

Sean stopped to get a new set of tires, Twink jumped up to protest when DK and Morimoto came blazing up. DK came over and started whooping up on my brother, I went to kick his ass but Morimoto grabbed me and held me so I couldn't get away, he sneered at me and I tried to fight him. DK knocked my brother to the ground and threatened him, then he whistled and Morimoto followed him, giving me one last wink. I ran over to help my brother up.

"You weren't just playing with fire, you dunked the matches in gasoline." I knew him spending so much time with Neela was going to end badly, but they were both so happy together. I am a sap when it comes to love.

Han helped him up.

"Come on, let's head back to the shop." I drove Sean, his eye was swelling up. When we got there, Han got him some ice and I got him some aspirin.

"I have a present for you, Steph." I looked at Han.

"What is it?"

"Follow me." He led me down to the floor and to a back corner I had never bothered to look at, all the cars over there were incased in dust covers He pulled off the material of one near the front and I screamed.

"Han!" I was so excited, I ran over and hugged him. He patted my back. I jumped in my old car and sighed.

"What was all the commotion about down here?" Sean said, still holding the ice pack. He saw my car and smiled, "Well I'll be damned. I didn't think you were seriously going to ship her car over here, Han." Han shrugged and tossed me the keys.

"Get in." I smiled at Han. He walked over and got in. "You're going to see how I role." Sean shook his head and walked away. I pulled out of the garage and drove to a quarter mile of road that I knew would be clear. Sean pulled up next to us in his Evo.

"You ready sis? You're car ain't never had to go up against something like this before."

"Muscle trumps import every day of the week." I heard Han snap his seat belt on and I smiled. I revved my engine, Sean did the same. The traffic light turned green and we were off, I hollered and it was neck and neck with my brother. I floored it and my car roared even louder, I loved the sound. My brother hit his Nos too soon, he thought he'd fallen too far behind, I flipped up the switch cover and waited until I heard the whine of his car struggling against all the oxygen it had just burnt, and pressed the switch, my car zoomed forward and I won. I fishtailed around to face him. He pulled up next to me.

"Good job, sis."

I smiled at him, "Same to you partner, but quit hitting the Nitrous Oxide too soon or you're going to fry the pistons."

"You're talkin' and all I hear is blah, blah, blah," he smiled and raced away.

"Where did you learn to drive like that?"

"I was graced with an overabundant need for speed." I stopped for a second, "I'd like to think in a perfect world that I would live my life for the 10 seconds I'm racing."

He laughed softly.

"What did I say?"

"You just sound an awful lot like my friend."

"He sounds like a good man."

"He was family." I took off back down the street.

"Thanks again for bringing my car over here, it's great."

"No biggie."

"How'd you find out about it?"

"Your brother and I talked about it once, and I thought I should repay you for getting me new clients." I looked over at him and smiled. Something twanged in my chest. I had very strong feelings for this man, and I shouldn't he's too old, too dangerous, and absolutely perfect.

A couple of days later.

Twink was trying to get me to go out with him, again!

"No offense Twink, but I only date men who could beat me in a race, and I don't want to embarrass you." He scoffed. I looked at him and smiled.

"Race me." Han asked. His eyes flashed with mischief.

"I thought you weren't into school girls?" I mocked him.

"You aren't in school, and you certainly aren't a girl." I smiled and rolled my eyes. I had taken a special exam to graduate early right after my 18th birthday.

"You're on."

We ended up going to the mountains, I drove Sean's Evo and Han drove his Mazda. Sean told us to go, first one to the bottom won.

I took off and yanked on the hand break, shifted over and kept turning, Han was drifting with me. I thought I could gain on him on the strait away, but he stayed with me. I hit the break too soon on the next curve and my front tire slipped of the road, I thought I was a gonner but then I bumped back on the road. Han won.

I got out of my car and looked at him, he was smiling cockily.

"So? Go on a date with me?" I smiled and shoved my hands in my pockets.

"I thought you'd never ask." I looked up at him and he leaned down to kiss me. I put my hands on the sides of his face and we kissed, and we kept kissing until someone cleared their throat uncomfortably.

"I thought this race was just for a date, not a spit swapping match." Sean shook his head, I tossed him his keys. Han pulled me over to his car and we resumed kissing.

That night Han took me to restaurant on the ocean front. We were seated away from everyone else in a private nook that looked out over the expanse of water.

"Why did ya want ta race me for anyway?" I asked Han. He watched me for a second.

"To kiss you," I raised my eyebrow.

"Ya certainly are lacking in willin' models if you're chasing an 18 year old." I sipped my water and smiled at him.

"The way I see it, with your attitude, genius level smarts, and driving abilities, you're about 23 right now." I smirked.

"That's still a few years younger than you."

"I can overlook those." He smirked. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

He meant the way I was looking at the sushi.

"I don't do raw fish."

"Let's go," he stood up and shrugged his coat on.

We ended up driving, we drifted through the mountains. Stopping at the top and we got out. I smiled at all the stars. I laid down on the hood of the car to look at them, Han sat beside me, watching them and eating a chip.

"It's amazing, being so far from home, and still seein' the same stars."

"You're amazing. I don't think anyone has ever told you that before, at least not that I've heard." I leaned up on my elbows.

"And ya took it upon yaself to grace me with those words?" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, of course." He snacked on a crisp.  
"Who was she?" I asked, watching his face.

"Who?" I sat up.

"The girl you lost, you had to lose her, she didn't walk away either, but you blame yourself, at least a little for what happened." He looked away for a really long time. "I shouldn't have said that, ah'm sorry." I looked away. He put a hand on mine.

"You're so sure there was someone else, how?"

"'Cuz I've been watching you since the day I met you."

"And what have you learned."

"You aim to blend in, like a chameleon." He nodded. "You eat constantly, or fiddle with something all the time, that makes me pretty certain that ya used to smoke, a lot, but ya quit and ya need to use your hands all the time."

"She said that," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry you lost her," I put my hand on his shoulder to console him.

"How did you know I lost her?"

"You never spend more than one time with all the women you cling onto of an evening."

"That could mean I'm just a player."

"No."

"No?"

"You still care for them, at least a little, like the models who are so wasted they pass out, you don't take advantage of them, or let other's do it. Ya just have them moved to an empty bunk to sleep it off. A player wouldn't care what happened to 'em. Ya don't want to see them get hurt."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It proves you have a very kind heart, no matter how you try and hide it." I pressed my palm against his chest and he sighed, I hadn't realized while we were talking that we had gotten this close. His face was inches from mine. He put his hand up so it was cupping my face.

"What are you doing, here?" He asked me quietly, kissing my ear.

"I'm sittin' here thinking about how crazy this is." I ran my fingers through his hair, letting the smooth black strands glide through my fingers.

"No, I meant here, in Japan."

"You know exactly why I'm here, I didn't want to leave my brother to fend for himself."

Han pulled away, searching my eyes. "It's my turn to tell you your own secrets." I smiled a little.

"Hurry up, I really am likein' kissing ya." He laughed softly.

"You came here because you wanted to be free."

"Honey, I came from the land of the free."

"You came here to live your life a quarter mile at a time."

"You're getting warmer."

"You got tired of beating people in races you only imagined in your head."

"What is that supposta mean?" He smiled at me again.

"You're the smartest person in the room and you know what everyone is going to do before they even talk to you." I shrugged. "You're the Sherlock Holmes of speed racing."

"Does that intimidate you?"

"Every time I watch you drive."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. We spent quite a long time that night getting to know each other.

When we pulled into the garage Sean was waiting for us.

"Where have you been, Steph?"

"Ya know exactly where I've been, what's jumped up your ass?" He frowned and Han touched my back, I looked at him and he kissed the side of my face before he went up to his room.

"Don't ya think it's weird, Han's like 8 years older than you!"

"Han's our friend."

"That even makes it worse!"

"How?" I tried to keep my voice down.

"Because what if something goes bad? Are ya going to make us choose sides between you two?"

"No, I would never do that to you."

"What if being with him puts you in danger?"

"Like what? Like macking on DK's girl?"

"Neela's different." My heart was hammering against my rib cage.

"No it isn't Sean, you aren't dad, you're my brother, if I like Han, then I like him, and if it ends badly, we're both mature enough to keep our professional relationship."

"What if he breaks ya heart?" He said quietly.

"We've been on _one_ date, that doesn't mean anything." I shoved past him and grabbed my keys off the table. "I'm going out."

"I forbade you to leave at this hour!" My twin brother yelled at me. I turned from my car and looked at him.

"You _forbade _me? God, Sean, I didn't know us moving into the garage automatically gave you this sense of entitlement over muh actions." I glared at him.

"You will not leave, the streets are dangerous."

"I think I can handle myself." I slammed my door and revved my engine.

I took off and just started cruising through the streets, it was weird to drive on the wrong side of the road but I was getting used to it. I had my pulse down from the locomotive pace it was when I was arguing with my brother. I parked so I was looking out over the bay. I laid out on the front of my car to watch to lights of the city. I started to cry. Not sobs, but I leaned up and had a steady stream of tears down my face.

I really did like Han, it wasn't just because he beat me in the race. I liked him for the things under his aloof exterior. I like his taste in cars, his taste in company, his attitude, his voice, I liked Han.

It hurt me for my brother to doubt my feelings, and it hurt me to doubt Han's feelings for me.

I stayed out until the sky started to turn pink, and then I stayed a little longer to watch the sun rise. I cruised back into the garage and parked. No one was up yet. I rolled up my windows and laid down across my front seat. I rubbed my eyes and pulled my jacket tighter around me. I closed my eyes but then there was a knock on my window, it was Han. He opened my door and I sat up to give him somewhere to sit.

He admired the interior of my car for the second time.

"What are you doing up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep, I was worried something happened to you, to be honest." He ran his fingers through his hair and watched me.

"I can protect myself." He looked at me.

"Here," he handed me a gun in a shoulder holster. I pulled it out and examined it.

"What makes you think that I'm capable of usin' this?"

"You were reading a book about hand guns, I saw you had bookmarked the page that had that model of gun. It was a good gun for you."

I nodded absently and pulled off my jacket to put the holster on. I checked to make sure that there was a full clip in the gun before I put it away. Han moved closer to me and put in a few full clips under my arm. He let his hand trail down my side and then he looked up at me.

"I remind you of her an awful lot, don't I?"

He nodded and moved away.

"Do you want me, or do you want her." I couldn't cover up the note of sadness in my voice.

"Her name was Gisele, she was absolutely amazing." He fiddled with a set of keys. "She died saving my life." I shrugged my jacket back on over my gun. "I miss her, but I understand you are a completely different person, so don't think that my feelings are just a projection onto a delusional idea that you are Gisele." I moved over to him and touched his face. In the confines of my car, there was no where I felt safer. I hugged him because it felt like he needed it.

"Thank you for telling me." I said quietly.

Han and I went out to get some breakfast and by the time we got back, there was a commotion in the garage.

"_Gijen, _where's your sister?" Morimoto sneered. I ran up the steps to get in the middle of this.

"Steph, I can handle this." Morimoto got up in my face. Han was by my side almost instantly.

"C'mon bro, back off, the lady isn't interested." He said softly.

"I'll race you." Sean said. Everyone turned. "If I win, you stay away from my sister, if you win, you can have her." I was abashed at my brother's proposition. Han looked back at me meaningfully. I clamped my jaw shut and held my tongue. The boys shook hands and agreed that tonight they would race. I saw Han watch Morimoto drive out of the garage and then he said something really quietly to Sean, the look on my brother's face was a fearful one. Han patted his shoulder and came back over to me. I looked at my brother, he met my eyes and I nodded my encouragement.

But that didn't take away the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Everyone had seen the exchange go down, Eric and Reiko went straight to tuning up Sean's car. Twink was angry, but he wouldn't yell at Sean. Han acted like it was a normal day, he grabbed a bag of chips and started to watch a video.

Twinkie came over to talk to me, he pulled me away from the main part of the loft.

"Do you know what Morimoto will do to you if he wins?" I nodded, he would take what he wanted and leave the rest. "Do you know what he'll do if he loses?"

"I'd assume some fool thing like try to force himself on me."

"He'll scar you up so bad no one will want ya. I've seen it happen."

"Then I guess we have to stay out of his way after Sean beats him." I smiled at Twink, I almost believed my own lie. He frowned at me and walked away. I turned and just glimpsed Han's face turning back to the screen.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day.

We were all hanging out at a soccer field, everyone was playing except Han, Sean, and I. Han tossed me a bottle of water and I nodded my thanks. I sipped it and watch my brother talk to Han about how Han got to Japan.

I moved over and leaned on the railing with them.

"If you don't drift to win, then what do you drift for?" I asked him.

"You really want to know?" I nodded. "Then come on," we got in his car, I was in the backseat as usual. I wished I had my car. Han drifted us around a corner and then drifted circles around a blue and silver car that had two women in it. Han stopped and there was a tense moment where they just starred at each other. Then the driver passed over a folded piece of paper.

A smiled played on Han's lips.

He let us out at our house and I waited for Sean to go inside before I spoke to Han.

"I'm in," he nodded once and pulled away, revving his engine.

I walked in to dad asleep in his chair. He was so plastered it didn't matter. I still slept on the floor of Sean's room and we had to listen to the crazy neighbor woman's laughter and TV all night.

"What do think of Han, Steph?"

"He's okay, I mean, I haven't watched him enough yet." Actually I knew more about Han Seoul-Oh than he probably wanted me to. I knew he was sad, he was trying to heal and move on from something big, the death of a loved one. I knew he was making a lot more money than just what Sean was collecting. I knew that he was one of the best drivers out there and had probably used that skill outside of street racing.

"I like him, he seems pretty stand up."

"Yeah." I changed for bed and laid down.

That night I had a dream I was drifting.

The next day we all went up into the mountains, Han was going to get Sean to learn how to drift one way or another, he was getting better, and still refused my help, which I respected. I was reading my literature book while sitting on the hood of a sporty little silver thing Han picked up at a race the other night. He was analyzing my brother's skills hard today. He was drinking a big bottle of water, the more occupied he was mentally, the less he ate. I looked up when he got in the car with Sean. Earl was dissing my brother hard for his lack of skills. Reiko came over to sit by me, we weren't too terribly close, but it was nice to have a girl to talk to.

My brother was getting the hang of drifting, he didn't over steer on the last turn he made.

Han called it a day and we all piled back into the cars. Sean went out to sell junk with Twink and I stayed in the garage, I found a place to read in the back, it was almost completely hidden by a tool box and racks of tires. I spread out my diagrams and started to analyze the different elements of The Mona Lisa car that my brother totaled. I put my ear buds in and turned my music up loud, there was a party going on tonight. I was so absorbed in my work that I didn't realize Han was looking over my shoulder. I jolted up and turned around, ripping my ear phones out.

"Han!" He moved away from me a little.

"What are you doing back here?"

"I was just looking at The Mona Lisa, seeing why you made it the way you did."

"I loved that car."

"And now it is restin' in pieces out back."

He pulled up a stool and sat across from me. "Help me build a new one, a better one." He propositioned.

"I don't know, I mean, isn't that what you have Eric for?"

"Eric's good, but he's not as good as I think you'd be." He watched my face. I tried to keep a blank appearance.

"I'll work on something and I'll show it to you, how's that sound?"

He shook my hand, my fate was sealed.

When we went home that night Sean told me he was moving into Han's garage, I could come or I could stay with dad. I said I'd think about it.

We went out to the dock early, just my brother and I, he was great at drifting know, he hollered and I knew he was hooked.

That afternoon I packed up my things and went to live in Han Seoul-Oh's garage of misfit gearheads. He was sitting with his older friends, some were smoking, or some were watching a video. Han walked down to me and nodded for me to follow him to the back of the garage.

"You can sleep in here," he pulled away a curtain to show me a little apartment, small even for Tokyo's standards, but it was all mine. I put my suitcase on my bed.

"You're serious? What, don't want a girl dirtyin' up your classy fuck-bunks upstairs?" He laughed a little and shook his head.

"Nah, I just thought you'd like the isolation." He left me to unpack.

The next day I got to school and as soon as the last bell rang, Eric and Reiko came up to Sean and were yelling for him to help Twinkie, he'd gotten himself into a fight with DK's second in command, Morimoto. Sean stood up for him and ended up giving him his own iPod to replace the broken one. Morimoto winked at me and I raised my eyebrow. Twink got mad at my brother and stormed off. I rolled my eyes and left school. Han was outside, leaning against a motorcycle I had seen on the garage floor last time I was there.

"Sup, Steph?" I stopped in front of him and shrugged.

"Just watched Twink get the fire kicked outta him over an iPod, but that's normal. Why you slummin' it today with us school kids?" He smirked and popped a crisp in his mouth.

"Thought I'd just come down to see how my pickup and delivery boy was doing." Sean came out and saw us talking.

"Something up?" Han shook his head.

"Nah, just chatting up this sister of yours. You'll wanna keep an eye on her, I heard Morimoto bragging about how he was going to get a piece of that country ass before long."

"Oh happy day! My prayers have been answered, a Japanese boy has come to slap my ass and make out with me on cars, however shall I thank you for giving me a heads up?" Sean laughed at my sarcasm. I saw Morimoto swagger out the front of school. He nodded his head at Han and then made a kissing face at me, I smirked and looked him up and down. When he was gone I turned around and glared at Han.

"How did this happen? I don't even see him anywhere except the races."

"You're white, you're hot, you're new and you're dangerous, everything he likes." Han said, getting on his bike. "I'll see you two at the docks later." He popped a wheelie and took off.

"Steph's got a boyfriend," Sean teased, I punched him in the arm.

"Shut up, I wouldn't touch that scumbag with a 40 foot pole." We got into his car.

"I know ya wouldn't sis." He pulled out and we booked it to Han's, we ran in there and changed out of our uniforms.

The next afternoon we were back at the garage, Twinkie was trying to get me to go out on a date with him.

"C'mon girl, I could treat you right, I know a great sushi place and then we can hit the movie theater." I looked unimpressed.

"Twink, I don't want to go on a date with you. You're my friend, go ask one of the anorexic models that live in the club to go, I'm sure they'd love to go throw up all the expensive raw fish after the date."

"Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie," he repeated my name, each time he got softer and got closer to me. "Please, baby, just one little date." I stood up.

"No, that's my final answer okay?" I walked down the steps to go work see what Sean was doing. He wasn't anywhere to been found.

"Guys, where did Sean go?" I yelled upstairs.

"He's out playing with fire." He was with Neela. I hung my head. My brother was going to get burned bad for that. Han was sitting at his work bench, he looked up at me.

"Steph, come here for a sec." I walked over to him. "You want to go for a ride?" I shrugged.

"Are you trying to ask me out? 'Cuz if you didn't hear up there, I'm really tired of that shit."

"Nope, I'm not into schoolgirls, that's DK's game." He pulled off his blue mechanic's shirt and grabbed his jacket.

We rode up to the mountains, he drifted through those hills with a whole group of cars, we weren't racing, we were enjoying the thrill of drifting, and it was amazing.

The Next Day.

I was sitting on the couch with Sean drifting at the docks, he'd been going at it all day. Twink was playing his PSP and Han was reading a Hulk comic book. I was getting ahead in math class so I could go out to the races this week and listen to what people were looking for, that way I could have Han make some money by getting them the stuff.

Sean stopped to get a new set of tires, Twink jumped up to protest when DK and Morimoto came blazing up. DK came over and started whooping up on my brother, I went to kick his ass but Morimoto grabbed me and held me so I couldn't get away, he sneered at me and I tried to fight him. DK knocked my brother to the ground and threatened him, then he whistled and Morimoto followed him, giving me one last wink. I ran over to help my brother up.

"You weren't just playing with fire, you dunked the matches in gasoline." I knew him spending so much time with Neela was going to end badly, but they were both so happy together. I am a sap when it comes to love.

Han helped him up.

"Come on, let's head back to the shop." I drove Sean, his eye was swelling up. When we got there, Han got him some ice and I got him some aspirin.

"I have a present for you, Steph." I looked at Han.

"What is it?"

"Follow me." He led me down to the floor and to a back corner I had never bothered to look at, all the cars over there were incased in dust covers He pulled off the material of one near the front and I screamed.

"Han!" I was so excited, I ran over and hugged him. He patted my back. I jumped in my old car and sighed.

"What was all the commotion about down here?" Sean said, still holding the ice pack. He saw my car and smiled, "Well I'll be damned. I didn't think you were seriously going to ship her car over here, Han." Han shrugged and tossed me the keys.

"Get in." I smiled at Han. He walked over and got in. "You're going to see how I role." Sean shook his head and walked away. I pulled out of the garage and drove to a quarter mile of road that I knew would be clear. Sean pulled up next to us in his Evo.

"You ready sis? You're car ain't never had to go up against something like this before."

"Muscle trumps import every day of the week." I heard Han snap his seat belt on and I smiled. I revved my engine, Sean did the same. The traffic light turned green and we were off, I hollered and it was neck and neck with my brother. I floored it and my car roared even louder, I loved the sound. My brother hit his Nos too soon, he thought he'd fallen too far behind, I flipped up the switch cover and waited until I heard the whine of his car struggling against all the oxygen it had just burnt, and pressed the switch, my car zoomed forward and I won. I fishtailed around to face him. He pulled up next to me.

"Good job, sis."

I smiled at him, "Same to you partner, but quit hitting the Nitrous Oxide too soon or you're going to fry the pistons."

"You're talkin' and all I hear is blah, blah, blah," he smiled and raced away.

"Where did you learn to drive like that?"

"I was graced with an overabundant need for speed." I stopped for a second, "I'd like to think in a perfect world that I would live my life for the 10 seconds I'm racing."

He laughed softly.

"What did I say?"

"You just sound an awful lot like my friend."

"He sounds like a good man."

"He was family." I took off back down the street.

"Thanks again for bringing my car over here, it's great."

"No biggie."

"How'd you find out about it?"

"Your brother and I talked about it once, and I thought I should repay you for getting me new clients." I looked over at him and smiled. Something twanged in my chest. I had very strong feelings for this man, and I shouldn't he's too old, too dangerous, and absolutely perfect.

A couple of days later.

Twink was trying to get me to go out with him, again!

"No offense Twink, but I only date men who could beat me in a race, and I don't want to embarrass you." He scoffed. I looked at him and smiled.

"Race me." Han asked. His eyes flashed with mischief.

"I thought you weren't into school girls?" I mocked him.

"You aren't in school, and you certainly aren't a girl." I smiled and rolled my eyes. I had taken a special exam to graduate early right after my 18th birthday.

"You're on."

We ended up going to the mountains, I drove Sean's Evo and Han drove his Mazda. Sean told us to go, first one to the bottom won.

I took off and yanked on the hand break, shifted over and kept turning, Han was drifting with me. I thought I could gain on him on the strait away, but he stayed with me. I hit the break too soon on the next curve and my front tire slipped of the road, I thought I was a gonner but then I bumped back on the road. Han won.

I got out of my car and looked at him, he was smiling cockily.

"So? Go on a date with me?" I smiled and shoved my hands in my pockets.

"I thought you'd never ask." I looked up at him and he leaned down to kiss me. I put my hands on the sides of his face and we kissed, and we kept kissing until someone cleared their throat uncomfortably.

"I thought this race was just for a date, not a spit swapping match." Sean shook his head, I tossed him his keys. Han pulled me over to his car and we resumed kissing.

That night Han took me to restaurant on the ocean front. We were seated away from everyone else in a private nook that looked out over the expanse of water.

"Why did ya want ta race me for anyway?" I asked Han. He watched me for a second.

"To kiss you," I raised my eyebrow.

"Ya certainly are lacking in willin' models if you're chasing an 18 year old." I sipped my water and smiled at him.

"The way I see it, with your attitude, genius level smarts, and driving abilities, you're about 23 right now." I smirked.

"That's still a few years younger than you."

"I can overlook those." He smirked. "You don't seem to be enjoying yourself."

He meant the way I was looking at the sushi.

"I don't do raw fish."

"Let's go," he stood up and shrugged his coat on.

We ended up driving, we drifted through the mountains. Stopping at the top and we got out. I smiled at all the stars. I laid down on the hood of the car to look at them, Han sat beside me, watching them and eating a chip.

"It's amazing, being so far from home, and still seein' the same stars."

"You're amazing. I don't think anyone has ever told you that before, at least not that I've heard." I leaned up on my elbows.

"And ya took it upon yaself to grace me with those words?" I couldn't help but smile.

"Yeah, of course." He snacked on a crisp.  
"Who was she?" I asked, watching his face.

"Who?" I sat up.

"The girl you lost, you had to lose her, she didn't walk away either, but you blame yourself, at least a little for what happened." He looked away for a really long time. "I shouldn't have said that, ah'm sorry." I looked away. He put a hand on mine.

"You're so sure there was someone else, how?"

"'Cuz I've been watching you since the day I met you."

"And what have you learned."

"You aim to blend in, like a chameleon." He nodded. "You eat constantly, or fiddle with something all the time, that makes me pretty certain that ya used to smoke, a lot, but ya quit and ya need to use your hands all the time."

"She said that," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry you lost her," I put my hand on his shoulder to console him.

"How did you know I lost her?"

"You never spend more than one time with all the women you cling onto of an evening."

"That could mean I'm just a player."

"No."

"No?"

"You still care for them, at least a little, like the models who are so wasted they pass out, you don't take advantage of them, or let other's do it. Ya just have them moved to an empty bunk to sleep it off. A player wouldn't care what happened to 'em. Ya don't want to see them get hurt."

"That doesn't prove anything."

"It proves you have a very kind heart, no matter how you try and hide it." I pressed my palm against his chest and he sighed, I hadn't realized while we were talking that we had gotten this close. His face was inches from mine. He put his hand up so it was cupping my face.

"What are you doing, here?" He asked me quietly, kissing my ear.

"I'm sittin' here thinking about how crazy this is." I ran my fingers through his hair, letting the smooth black strands glide through my fingers.

"No, I meant here, in Japan."

"You know exactly why I'm here, I didn't want to leave my brother to fend for himself."

Han pulled away, searching my eyes. "It's my turn to tell you your own secrets." I smiled a little.

"Hurry up, I really am likein' kissing ya." He laughed softly.

"You came here because you wanted to be free."

"Honey, I came from the land of the free."

"You came here to live your life a quarter mile at a time."

"You're getting warmer."

"You got tired of beating people in races you only imagined in your head."

"What is that supposta mean?" He smiled at me again.

"You're the smartest person in the room and you know what everyone is going to do before they even talk to you." I shrugged. "You're the Sherlock Holmes of speed racing."

"Does that intimidate you?"

"Every time I watch you drive."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to him. We spent quite a long time that night getting to know each other.

When we pulled into the garage Sean was waiting for us.

"Where have you been, Steph?"

"Ya know exactly where I've been, what's jumped up your ass?" He frowned and Han touched my back, I looked at him and he kissed the side of my face before he went up to his room.

"Don't ya think it's weird, Han's like 8 years older than you!"

"Han's our friend."

"That even makes it worse!"

"How?" I tried to keep my voice down.

"Because what if something goes bad? Are ya going to make us choose sides between you two?"

"No, I would never do that to you."

"What if being with him puts you in danger?"

"Like what? Like macking on DK's girl?"

"Neela's different." My heart was hammering against my rib cage.

"No it isn't Sean, you aren't dad, you're my brother, if I like Han, then I like him, and if it ends badly, we're both mature enough to keep our professional relationship."

"What if he breaks ya heart?" He said quietly.

"We've been on _one_ date, that doesn't mean anything." I shoved past him and grabbed my keys off the table. "I'm going out."

"I forbade you to leave at this hour!" My twin brother yelled at me. I turned from my car and looked at him.

"You _forbade _me? God, Sean, I didn't know us moving into the garage automatically gave you this sense of entitlement over muh actions." I glared at him.

"You will not leave, the streets are dangerous."

"I think I can handle myself." I slammed my door and revved my engine.

I took off and just started cruising through the streets, it was weird to drive on the wrong side of the road but I was getting used to it. I had my pulse down from the locomotive pace it was when I was arguing with my brother. I parked so I was looking out over the bay. I laid out on the front of my car to watch to lights of the city. I started to cry. Not sobs, but I leaned up and had a steady stream of tears down my face.

I really did like Han, it wasn't just because he beat me in the race. I liked him for the things under his aloof exterior. I like his taste in cars, his taste in company, his attitude, his voice, I liked Han.

It hurt me for my brother to doubt my feelings, and it hurt me to doubt Han's feelings for me.

I stayed out until the sky started to turn pink, and then I stayed a little longer to watch the sun rise. I cruised back into the garage and parked. No one was up yet. I rolled up my windows and laid down across my front seat. I rubbed my eyes and pulled my jacket tighter around me. I closed my eyes but then there was a knock on my window, it was Han. He opened my door and I sat up to give him somewhere to sit.

He admired the interior of my car for the second time.

"What are you doing up this early?"

"Couldn't sleep, I was worried something happened to you, to be honest." He ran his fingers through his hair and watched me.

"I can protect myself." He looked at me.

"Here," he handed me a gun in a shoulder holster. I pulled it out and examined it.

"What makes you think that I'm capable of usin' this?"

"You were reading a book about hand guns, I saw you had bookmarked the page that had that model of gun. It was a good gun for you."

I nodded absently and pulled off my jacket to put the holster on. I checked to make sure that there was a full clip in the gun before I put it away. Han moved closer to me and put in a few full clips under my arm. He let his hand trail down my side and then he looked up at me.

"I remind you of her an awful lot, don't I?"

He nodded and moved away.

"Do you want me, or do you want her." I couldn't cover up the note of sadness in my voice.

"Her name was Gisele, she was absolutely amazing." He fiddled with a set of keys. "She died saving my life." I shrugged my jacket back on over my gun. "I miss her, but I understand you are a completely different person, so don't think that my feelings are just a projection onto a delusional idea that you are Gisele." I moved over to him and touched his face. In the confines of my car, there was no where I felt safer. I hugged him because it felt like he needed it.

"Thank you for telling me." I said quietly.

Han and I went out to get some breakfast and by the time we got back, there was a commotion in the garage.

"_Gijen, _where's your sister?" Morimoto sneered. I ran up the steps to get in the middle of this.

"Steph, I can handle this." Morimoto got up in my face. Han was by my side almost instantly.

"C'mon bro, back off, the lady isn't interested." He said softly.

"I'll race you." Sean said. Everyone turned. "If I win, you stay away from my sister, if you win, you can have her." I was abashed at my brother's proposition. Han looked back at me meaningfully. I clamped my jaw shut and held my tongue. The boys shook hands and agreed that tonight they would race. I saw Han watch Morimoto drive out of the garage and then he said something really quietly to Sean, the look on my brother's face was a fearful one. Han patted his shoulder and came back over to me. I looked at my brother, he met my eyes and I nodded my encouragement.

But that didn't take away the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Everyone had seen the exchange go down, Eric and Reiko went straight to tuning up Sean's car. Twink was angry, but he wouldn't yell at Sean. Han acted like it was a normal day, he grabbed a bag of chips and started to watch a video.

Twinkie came over to talk to me, he pulled me away from the main part of the loft.

"Do you know what Morimoto will do to you if he wins?" I nodded, he would take what he wanted and leave the rest. "Do you know what he'll do if he loses?"

"I'd assume some fool thing like try to force himself on me."

"He'll scar you up so bad no one will want ya. I've seen it happen."

"Then I guess we have to stay out of his way after Sean beats him." I smiled at Twink, I almost believed my own lie. He frowned at me and walked away. I turned and just glimpsed Han's face turning back to the screen.


	3. Chapter 3

The Race.

Han watched me shake from the passenger seat of his Mazda. He reached over and grabbed my hands.

"Everything'll be fine, Steph, your brother is good."

"I know he is, I'm sure he'll win, but I don't think that winning will keep Morimoto from me."

"You'd be surprised." He pulled into a spot in the parking garage. DK was there, acting smug as usual. Morimoto came over to me and pressed himself against me.

"I hope you're ready for our _date._" I instinctively bared my teeth and moved away from him.

"I hope you're ready to lose." I went to walk away when he grabbed my wrist and forcefully turned me around.

"I never lose." He said, pressing his lips against my ear. It took all of my strength to not punch him in the face. I jerked away from him, I knew what I had to say. I looked up at his smug ugly face and smiled my most charming smile at him.

"I wish you luck, I'm sure our date will be a great evening, and if you lose, I will be sad to see you go." I quickly walked away, Han had gone up to bet something with DK.

They wasted no time, the race for me was started right away. I hugged Sean and wished him luck. Han and I both waited until we would have the elevator to ourselves before we went to the roof.

We were standing in silence when Han turned and kissed me. "What was that for?" I asked when he pulled away.

"You looked like you needed it." He shrugged and walked out of the elevator. We stood by DK. I heard the cars coming up the ramp, I sighed with relief when Sean's Evo came to a drifting stop in front of us. I ran to him and hugged him, in the crowd I didn't see Morimoto's car come rolling up, smoke billowing out from under the hood, he had cracked his radiator most likely. In the throng of people, I got pushed away and before I knew it I was face to face with Morimoto. He was angry. He grabbed me and tossed me into the car I went to catch myself and realized too late that I had put both of my hands on the scalding hood of the black car. I pulled my hands away quickly but it was too late. Morimoto smiled vilely and grabbed me.

"Now you can't drive." He kissed my neck and I tried to push away but my hands were useless. Han pulled me away and ushered me to the car.

"What did he do to you?" Han said, shaking with anger as he sped too fast out of the parking lot.

I looked down at my hands, they were blistered and peeling, it was amazing to see how fast extreme heat could kill cells. Han looked over and clenched his jaw. He was darting through the streets of Tokyo, paying no attention to the speed limits or traffic lights. We were back at his garage. He opened my car door for me and sat me down at his work bench. The skin on my palms was growing taunt and I couldn't move my fingers. Han rushed back down with a first aid kit.

"This may sting," he poured a bottle of antiseptic all over my fingers and palms. I turned my head and bit my jacket to keep from screaming. He dug through the box to find a thick tube and smeared the opaque gel all over my fingers. It hurt so badly for him to try to move my fingers that I felt tears spring from my eyes. He wrapped my hands up in gauze and put some pain meds in my mouth for me to swallow. He put his hands on either side of my face and pressed our foreheads together. His breathing was heavy, like he had just run a marathon.

"Han?" Sean called from his car. Neela got out with him. He saw the mess we had made in the haste to take care of my hands.

"Sean, good job tonight." He said, his usual stoic composure back. My brother came over and gingerly took my bandaged hands.

"Did that prick do this to you?" He was turning red.

"I think it's over. He didn't even mean to burn me I don't think, that part just kinda happened."

"I'm gonna kill him." Sean said quietly.

"He's done, he's done his damage, now he doesn't want her." Han said. He was angry, I saw it in the clench of his jaw and the tone of his voice. "She needs a hospital." He got up.

"I know a place," Twink said.

He took Sean, Han, and I to a little tea shop in the fishing district, we went in, he said something to the ancient woman behind the counter, and she nodded to the back. I was ushered into a back room that was brightly lit compared to the rest of the building. A middle aged man walked in and asked what had happened.

"I touched a hot car." I answered.

He peeled off the bandages and dropped them into a silver dish. He took me over to a sink and with the upmost care washed off all the cooling salve Han had applied, he made me flex my fingers which made me cry out. It was like my skin was tearing to ribbons. I was told to sit in a chair while the doctor examined my wounds. He nodded.

"These are very severe."

"I know." He pulled out a plastic syringe and attached a sterile needle to it, he drew out the fluid from the blisters. I cringed at all the milky fluid in the syringe. After the blisters had been taken care of, it didn't look as bad, my skin was dappled with the popped blisters and red skin everywhere else.

"You will heal, no scars, but it will hurt." I nodded, he pulled off some of the dead skin so that it would heal faster. He spread a slurry of burn cream and antibiotics all over and rebandaged my hands. Han paid the man gratuitously.

"Thanks for bringing me here, Twink."

"No problem."

That night Han stayed with me down in my room, he lay on my bed beside me, holding me against him, cradling my damaged hands between us. I woke up and watched him sleep, he looked so young. I kissed him, he slowly opened his eyes. He reached up and stroked my hair. I cringed when I felt my hands, the blisters were back I felt the pressure of them against the bandages.

"Let's take care of those." He pulled me out to the work bench and cleared it off, he unbandaged my hands slowly, there was some skin stuck to the gauze. I cringed when I saw my hands, Han cleaned off the salve to show one huge blister on one hand surrounded by smaller ones, and then the other hand was much to same, there were not as many as yesterday, though. Twink came down and was taken aback by my hands.

"Holy Shit." He pulled a sewing kit out of his messenger bag. Han pulled out the needle and sterilized it with a lighter. Twink grabbed some shop rags and helped push out all of the fluid from my blisters. I felt tears sting my eyes and my friend apologized for hurting me. I shook my head.

"Not your fault, Twinkie." He was done, Han smeared on more salve and swaddled my hands again.

"You're not going to be driving anywhere soon." I sighed.

One Week Later.

I was absently peeling the remaining dead skin off of my raw pink hands, Han was watching a video, Sean was making out with Neela on the couch. I got up and went to take a shower.

I let the hot water run over my face and I sighed. Han was making much more money with me as a contact, and he wasn't cutting DK's uncle share equal, it was sure to show soon. I stepped out of the shower wrapped in a towel. I wiped away the steam on the mirror and looked at my face. My mind got lost somewhere trying to see if there was any difference in my appearance. I touched my lips, to see if they were different from all the kisses Han gave me, and the ones I stole from him. I sighed and pulled on my clothes. I plaited my hair to the side and walked out of the bathroom. I had put my holster on but hadn't pulled my jacket on over it. Sean had found out about the gun and had been incredibly angry, but he'd gotten over it. I had not yet had to use it, never pull a gun unless you mean to use it.

I walked out just as DK came in, Han greeted him warmly but DK punched him in the face, the force threw him back against a car he was standing by. I ran over.

"I trusted you and you made me look like a fool," he spat, pulling a gun and pointing it right at Han's forehead. I pulled out my gun and aimed it at him.

"I wouldn't do that, if I was you." I glared him down, the calculations I needed were flashing in front of my eyes, the trajectory of the bullet, the speed, his possible reactions.

"You wouldn't shoot me."

"Wanna bet?"

I did, I pulled the trigger and shot the gun out of his hand, the sound was deafening.

"Holy shit!" Han grabbed my hand and ran, we all scattered. He pulled me into his Mazda and we took off. I looked behind us, Sean was on our tail in his Evo. We darted through the streets, people were screaming and yelling, Han fell back to get DK off of Sean's tail. I pulled out my gun as he flipped the car around. We were nose to nose with The Drift King's car, he shot at us with his injured hand. All he succeeded in doing was shatter the windshield. I pulled out my gun and shot at him, I didn't want to kill him, just to freak him out. I hit him, grazing the side of his face, he swerved and ran into a parked car. Han whipped the Rx-7 around and I looked forward, a White Mercedes was racing through the street perpendicular to the road we were on now. I leaned over and hit the NOS button, we just about beat the Mercedes, it clipped our rear and we spun out, the car rolled over but stopped in an upright position. I smelled gas. I flung open my door and pulled Han out,

"Put him down." A gravelly voice said behind me. I turned without thinking, my gun drawn.

"Or what?" He pulled his gun on me.

"Or I'll kill you, how's that for a reason."

"It's a good one, but I think you won't do it."

"Why do you think that?"

I shot him in the shoulder, and then the knee. I wouldn't kill anyone today. I hauled ass with Han a safe distance away from the car before it exploded.

"Shit." Han said, rubbing his temples. I sat down on the curb. I put my hand on my forehead and it came back covered in blood.

We headed to my dad's house. He was shocked to see us.

"Steph, what happened?"

"I kinda may have shot a nephew of Yakuza and a man who was trying to kill my boyfriend?"

"Boyfriend?" He looked Han up and down.

"Really? Out of everything I just told you, that part sticks out?"

"Let's get you two cleaned up," my dad cleaned my head wound. "It's not bad, just a little scratch. He stitched me up. Han didn't really have anything other than a bump on his head.

"Thanks, Dad." I went to leave.

"You're getting on a plane, tonight." My father said, picking up the phone.

"No, I'm not." I gave him a stern look. "I'm not leaving Sean, Yakuza will be after him now."

"But—" There was a commotion outside and we all ran to investigate.

DK was there, holding a gun at my brother's head. I pulled out my gun, the snapping sound of the new clip being put in made the ugly Asian look my way.

"Leave, and don't come back. I'm sure you remember that I shot you, right? That was me. If you piss me off or hurt my family again I will end your miserable, pathetic life, understand?" His eyes narrowed and my dad pulled out his gun.

"Did you not hear the lady? Go." DK glared at me and got in his car. He burned some of the rubber off the tire.

"That's not going to keep him away for long." Han said. Rubbing his neck. I walked closer to him. He wrapped an arm around my waist. My dad put his gun away and looked at Han and me.

"Dad, this is Han, he's my boyfriend." Han reached out to take my dad's hand. He shook it reluctantly.

"Bit old for you, isn't he?" I sighed.

"No, but we do need to hide out for a little bit." Han said. Neela put a hand on Sean's chest.

"We thought you two were dead." Neela said.

"You oughta trust your sister more than that? Neither the Yakuza nor a hit man could kill us."


End file.
